CSVF Blog

The Church of St. Vincent Ferrer is happy to announce that its second annual St. Albert’s Day Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Stephen Barr, a professor of physics at the University of Delaware.  Dr. Barr will deliver an address entitled “Modern Physics and Ancient Faith.”  He has published a book by the same title.

The lecture will be held on Thursday, November 13, at 7:00 PM.  The event is free and open to the public.

The publisher’s synopsis of Dr. Barr’s book offers us glimpse of his thesis:

A considerable amount of public debate and media print has been devoted to the “war between science and religion.” In his accessible and eminently readable new book, Stephen M. Barr demonstrates that what is really at war with religion is not science itself, but a philosophy called scientific materialism. Modern Physics and Ancient Faith argues that the great discoveries of modern physics are more compatible with the central teachings of Christianity and Judaism about God, the cosmos, and the human soul than with the atheistic viewpoint of scientific materialism. Scientific discoveries from the time of Copernicus to the beginning of the twentieth century have led many thoughtful people to the conclusion that the universe has no cause or purpose, that the human race is an accidental by-product of blind material forces, and that the ultimate reality is matter itself. Barr contends that the revolutionary discoveries of the twentieth century run counter to this line of thought. He uses five of these discoveries — the Big Bang theory, unified field theories, anthropic coincidences, Godel’s Theorem in mathematics, and quantum theory — to cast serious doubt on the materialist’s view of the world and to give greater credence to Judeo-Christian claims about God and the universe. Barr’s clear and elegant writing is in the best tradition of science for the non-physicist or non-mathematician and will appeal to anyone interested in science and religion.

In addition to his book, Dr. Barr has written numerous articles on faith and science, many of which have been published in First Things.  Click here for a listing of these articles.

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ELECTION PRAYER

Lord God,
as the election approaches,
we seek to better understand the issues and concerns
that confront our city, state, and country,
and how the Gospel compels us to respond as faithful citizens in our community.
We ask for eyes that are free from blindness
so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters,
one and equal in dignity,
especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty.
We ask for ears that will hear the cries of children unborn and those abandoned,
men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender.
We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders
who will bring us closer to your Kingdom.
We pray for discernment
so that we may choose leaders who hear your Word, live your love,
and keep in the ways of your truth
as they follow in the steps of Jesus and his Apostles
and guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace.

We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

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